Parenting
1) wear actual pajamas to bed that I change into at bedtime and out of in the morning. 2) brush my hair everyday. 3) five minutes of quiet prayer. okay, maybe more like four is realistic, but quiet prayer. intentional quiet prayer. 4) no more buying hot cocoas at coffee shops. 5) when one of my kids ask me to read to them, or help with legos, or play dolls, do it right then. 6) stop complain-texting my husband. 7) get a dog. think about how much work a puppy is. think about it again. sit uncertain about a dog. 8) put *it* away right away. whatever it is. procrastination means it will sit there for days. 9) make our bed every morning. launder our sheets every week. 10) clean the bathrooms once a week. DID YOU HEAR THAT, UNIVERSE?! 11) say I’m sorry without following up with why I’m really right and totally justified. 12) tell my husband I love him fiercely everyday. especially when I’m annoyed with whatever. 13) eat family dinner in the Dining Room once a week. 14) reflect on the characteristics that bug me in other people–insofar as how I do them too. 15) stop picking my kids’ noses. 16) use the cold press juicer I gave AA for Christmas every day for maximum GI tract benefits. How typically New Years’ Resolutions of me! But now you know them. Hold me to them!!
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So I’m not ready for the holiday season to be over. The cousins all together for the first time for Christmas!! My siblings surrounding me at every turn (quite so, when I turned from the counter to the pantry to dump something in the trash, there was always someone right.there.next.to.me). Tuning out the outside world to keep our circus from ending in rampage, stampede, and certain maiming by the 19 month old who still randomly bites. One thing that was really special, among the bazillion, was that I made matching leggings for all seven grandkids (ages 5 and under), we procured cream cable knit irish sweaters for all of them, and my sister Molly made felt crowns for everyone for a Christmas pic for my parent’s annual letter update on their lives for their friends and family. Molly’s gone home with her crew, Peter will go home in a few days as well, and then all will be dull and sad until our next family reunion. I’m feasting my eyes on these outtakes from our photo sesh in the meanwhile. Not touched up. Raw grit here, people. I hope your holidays were merry and bright and if you’re still celebrating the 12 days of Christmas, rock on with that, too! A foot . . . Aron? Peter? Someone? Ladies, don’t hold back. Tell us how you really feel about being royalty. If only the other two boy cuzes were in this one!! And my monster tot. How’s that candy cane,…
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I love shopping for other people. I really truly do. I love giving gifts!!! I also love supporting small businesses and organizations I believe in. My last minute, shop small, gift list. So I made my list of seven places to shop that aren’t amazon. Not to hate on the great ‘zon, but these are special. Support your local maker, mama, monk. 1) Brooklyn Herborium Just a few of my favorite things from my sister Molly. I douse my kids twice a day in her oils and balms. It’s the only protection against the harsh Minnesotan winter (plus my daughter’s eczema gets BAD without her products). She’s running a buy 5, get 1 on a few of her hot sellers. Okay, they’re all hot sellers, but these ones are SO great. 2) Natti Natti And a friend of Molly’s, Shannon, whom I so respect and admire, has launched her Natti Natti line!! Hand-designed organic cotton innovative and beautiful children’s products. This bedding !!! I’m looking at one she sent over right now and can’t wait to do a full review in January when I talk to you about how we revamped the kids’ room. Support a hard working mom of two: 3) Sassy Knitwear A local friend who is a seamstress extraordinare designs and sews with her partner all these lovely threads. My kids love theirs!! She’s kind enough to offer a coupon code for 25% off through Dec 31st, good in-store, too, locals! Thanks to Sarah & Molly over…
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emily rumsey photography I’ve had a number of friends and family say to me . . .That’s so nice that you blog, but do you ever feel weird sharing so much about your life? About your marriage? Pictures of your kids’ faces? Why do you share all that? I have given it quite a bit of thought, and arrived at these thoughts. Lots of thinking for a person who doesn’t think a lot. Firstly, I share because motherhood in its first few years can be exceptionally isolating. I live with my mom (part-time) and my sister (soon to be no-time as she’s bought a sweet little house down the road), I’m on the phone with my other sister in New York constantly, I have regular coffee dates with my oldest sister who lives across the river, and I chat it up almost weekly with my sweet sister-in-law. You’d think I have the complete village like days of yore when women were supported by their families and their tribe and yadayada. Yes, I am exceptionally blessed with women close to me, emotionally and physically. But even so, the trials and tribulations of young motherhood are particular to us as a generation. We face different pains than my mom’s generation, insta-gram-envy, for example, or maybe the pressures to bottle feed if your workplace isn’t supportive of breastfeeding or the backlash of bottle feeding if nursing didn’t work out for you. I was more than a year ahead of having kids than my oldest sister, and…
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How was your week? Was it busy, rushed, and filled with forgettable moments slushing around in your momivan in the fresh snow? Or was it calm, relaxed, spent wiping your kids’ noses, and calibrating how much longer this cold could conceivably survive? 1) It was a blend of both for me. I showered today, flossed, and tweezed my eyebrows while my sister played with the kids. So that was incredibly humanizing. She’s a saint and bought a new house in the neighborhood so we’re in full-scrubbing-and-cleaning mode. The kids are devastated she won’t be bunked up with us anymore but really excited for sleepovers and afternoons of Sudoku (the newest craze) over there. 2) AA has been in litigation which means I urge him to stay at the office til 9 or 10 so he can just pound out these briefs and he does, though he doesn’t like to miss bedtime and seeing the kids, and I make breakfast for dinner for the kids. I’m familiar with AA’s work; I can harken back to my lawyering days and remember that burning taste of stress in the back of your mouth when the deadlines are hard and recalcitrant. I’m so grateful it’s him and not me going through that heavy press of practicing law. 3) I’m on my own for long days and usually it’s ok but today I kinda ran out of tricks by 1:45 in the afternoon. We had already visited Dada at the office (well, he runs down to…
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Did he just eat that? Did he just say that? Why is he making that face while he’s apologizing? Does that negate the apology? Should I ask him to do it again? When he urges his toddler brother to hit his preschooler sister with a carabiner, should I not only confiscate the weapon but ban all other of said weapons as punishment? When his follow-up is that he doesn’t care about them anyway, do I confiscate all paper airplanes, legos, and Jim Weiss cds or is that overkill. Just the cds? How do I make the impression that I’m serious beyond shouting or frowning? Those don’t seem to be making the desired impact. Try quiet volcanic rage? Try ignoring? When he says that he already went to the bathroom but he didn’t, and I know he didn’t, and he knows I know he didn’t, do I stand outside the bathroom door to make sure I hear him actually go this time, or is that just really draconian? When he literally cannot sit still but doesn’t want to join me in a funky kitchen dance party because apparently I’m borderline not cool anymore (??!!??), do I make him run laps up the back stairs, then down the front, or put on his winter gear and explore the backyard? What about when he is so antsy-in-the-pantsy but pretends to be “simply exhausted”? Forced fun never hurt anyone, right? Will he ever not love the Hardy Boys? Will he ever choose a career…
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